His Butler, My Savior
by Plaid Beans
Summary: Charlotte is a talented fighter who is running for her life from a demonic instructor from her past. She fears that she will lose what she values most until she meets a rich boy and his butler who offer her sanctuary.
1. A Rich Hostage

"Ok, drag the kid over here," Claire demanded, pointing at a wooden chair next to a window. I cringed, knowing that tactically this was a terrible place to put a hostage.

I carried the boy over to the designated location and placed him on the chair. Claire rolled her eyes. "I said _drag_," she mumbled to herself, annoyed. I ignored her and quickly tied his arms back so that he wouldn't have a chance at escape, or be able to remove the sack that was over his head. We didn't want him to be able to identify us after this whole thing was over.

"Alright, lets call his place and get someone to bring us the money. One hundred thousand pounds. It's chump change for the little brat, isn't it?" Claire smirked, patting the boy on the back, with a little too much force to be considered friendly.

Claire wasn't my friend. She was just a means to an end. I needed money, she needed money. She came up with a plan to ransom out a rich kid to get the money we needed. I didn't care what she was going to do with her portion; all I knew was that I was using mine to run.

I had to run if I wanted to live.

"I'll go to the pay phone," I volunteered, although I didn't feel like it was the best idea to leave Claire alone with the boy. She seemed to be placing all her resentment of the rich elite on this poor child. He couldn't be more than 12-years-old. I wasn't the first person to cheer on the rich, but I also didn't care to torture children either. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to damage my soul by betraying my integrity. My soul was already so fragile.

"You needn't waste your time," the boy responded coolly from beneath the sack. "I can call my butler from here."

I was about to ask how and Claire was in the process of raising her hand to smack the boy when he declared in a booming voice befitting of someone much older than 12, "Sebastian, come to me _now_."

The voice came from behind me. "I'm right here, my young lord."

Claire and I both pulled our guns. I had no idea how the butler was able to get into the room without either of us hearing him until I saw the look in his eyes. It made my skin crawl.

"My, my… My lord, you really have perfected this talent of being taken. What is this, the third time now?" he mocked, but his eyes were on me the entire time. I swallowed hard. He knew what I knew.

"Sebastian, I grow weary of your tone," Ciel Phantomhive sneered.

"Shut up!" Claire shouted from across the room. I could sense from the distress in her voice that she was just as terrified as me, and she didn't even know the truth of the situation. "If you don't want us to hurt the little posh kid, then you best give us one hundred thousand pounds. Otherwise, I'll put a bullet in the kid's head."

The butler moved slowly closer to me and his lord. He was as graceful as a dancer, and I knew as deadly as a tiger. There was even a feral feline look about his eyes, which still were locked on me. "Well, you see, I left my change purse back at the mansion," he said, gliding closer still. "Perhaps it would be best for all of us if you ladies just left."

He was giving us a choice: leave now and live, or stay and face a fate worse than death. I knew which I'd rather choose, but unfortunately Claire didn't know the gravity of our situation.

"One hundred thousand pounds, or a bullet. Those are your choices, butler," Claire shouted, waving the pistol around like it was a fan. "Or maybe we should ask the little lord what he wants you to do? That's not so much money for a life, right Lord Phantomhive?" She taunted.

"Yes, my lord," the butler Sebastian called. "What are your orders?"

There was a long pause, and I stared into the butler's cold, dark eyes. They were the eyes of Death. Finally, Ciel responded.

"Stop them, and get me out of this damn chair."

"As you wish, my lord." And then the demon jumped at me.


	2. A Fight She Couldn't Win

_Bang. _I only had time to fire off a single round and it missed. The butler darted closer and swatted the gun from my hand. He moved inhumanly fast, just as I had feared. My fist flew up to meet him in the face but he pushed my arm away, nearly snapping it in half. I grunted in pain and grabbed my knife from my pocket. The butler side-stepped both of my swipes, the blade gleaming in the air. His hand moved into his jacket pocket and he grabbed a handful of silver dinner knives. I had but a moment to leap out of the way, as the silverware flew with such ferocity that it stuck into the wall behind me like darts. I threw my leg up and managed to hit the quick bastard in the arm as he moved out of my way.

"Nice kick. Someone taught you well," he commented, not winded at all.

_More like _something, I thought angrily. I didn't speak though, because I refused to waste my precious breath.

_We are faster than you_, I heard Dominic's cruel voice coming from the dark recesses of my brain. _So you have to be more agile. _

A leather shoe kicked me in the right leg before I even realized that the butler had lifted his leg. I crouched just in time to miss a higher round-house kick that would have easily knocked me unconscious. My knife flew out and caught Sebastian in the leg. It came back bloody.

_If your enemy has more endurance, than you have to end the fight quickly, _Dominic's voice demanded into my ear.

A white-gloved punch in the face knocked me on my back. I rolled backwards, onto my feet like nothing had happened, and spit a glob of blood onto the ground. Knife flailing, I caused the butler to back up. There was a gleam of silver and a knife hit my side before I could fully evade. I pulled it out of me, and tossed it out of the butler's reach. One less weapon for him.

_Pain is weakness, leaving the body. You cannot acknowledge the pain, or the weakness stays. _

_ And you are already weak enough. _

My knife cut the butler in the arm, another flesh wound for him.

"My, my, I rather liked this jacket."

He shrugged, and it fell off of him. Everything he did was as fluid as a fish. Then, Sebastian jumped over me and struck me in the back with a strong kick. I fell on my stomach awkwardly, sliding across the floor towards Claire and Ciel. I jumped up as quickly as I could and regained my footing.

_Strong footing, strong base. You need all the strength you can get. Take it from the ground, because your enemy is going to be stronger than you. _

I was about to charge forward, when Claire shouted, "Enough! Enough of this! Get the money or I shoot the kid!"

She had Ciel out of the chair, sack off and staring right at us. I stuttered to a stop, realizing she had the gun on the harmless boy and not on the dangerous creature I was fighting. _What an idiot._

"Claire, don't!" I cried out. But I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was going to pull the trigger whether or not the money was in her hands. She just wanted to kill the boy. _One less rich fool_, I supposed she was thinking. All I knew was that one dead child on my soul was more than I could take.

I threw the knife though the air, and it caught her right in the chest. I grabbed the gun from her hand before she had even fallen to her knees. "You're a damn fool," I cursed her, "But death is a lot better than what he's going to do to me. You can thank me from Hell."

The butler was staring right at me, with those terrible, cold eyes. The little boy too, with his one patched eye and the other that was as deep as the sea. "Take the boy," I snapped, pushing the little lord forward and jumping out the window.

**AN: So I recently became obsessed with **_**Black Butler**_** and I managed to watch both season in a week. I guess this story is my way of detoxing myself from such a rapid addiction haha! Read/ review/ favorite, it makes me smile! Thanks and enjoy!**


	3. You Can't Have It

I landed poorly from my two-story jump, spraining my ankle before rolling back to my feet. I sprinted off towards the forest as if I couldn't feel anything.

_Running is for the weak. The strong will always chase you. They will catch you, and you will die. Never run. _

I cursed Dominic in my head and powered forward anyways. There was no way I was going to win back there. No matter how well he trained me, I could never beat a demon in a fight. I couldn't beat Dominic, and I wouldn't be able to defeat this butler either.

My good foot found its way into a hole and I stumbled forward, landing painfully on my hands. I took a moment to realize how much pain I was in. My head, face, leg, ankle, hands, feet… There was scarcely a part of me that wasn't in pain. Dominic would have kicked me for taking a moment like that. When I dragged myself to my feet I realized in horror that the butler was standing directly in front of me.

I pulled the gun again and took a step back, but tripped back over the hole again and landed on my butt. Dominic would really have beaten me for that.

"Master would like to speak with you. Will you come willingly or shall I drag you by your hair?" Sebastian asked dryly, as if he really didn't care either way.

This wasn't going to end well for me. I always knew it wasn't. One demon or another.

"I'll go," I decided, figuring my scalp was the one place that wasn't in pain yet.

His eyes were the same dark, thin eyes as Dominic's. "There won't be a need for a weapon," Sebastian told me, holding out his hand.

"Hardly," I spat, and then before I even knew what was happening, the demon had wrenched the pistol from my hand and dismantled it before my eyes.

_Well, it wouldn't have killed him anyways. _

We marched back to the house, and I was discouraged to see that I hadn't managed to get very far. Ciel Phantomhive was waiting just outside.

"What is your name, girl?" He asked. Ciel had the presence of an honored and accomplished member of the nobility. I suppose he might have been, and I wouldn't have known because I hadn't bothered to check Claire's facts before this little disaster.

"The master asked you a question," the butler said, inching closer to me. I took a step away from him. He seemed to be getting taller.

"It's Charlotte. Charlotte Davis," I quickly stuttered through a dry mouth.

Ciel nodded, his blue eye moving from me to Sebastian. "She landed multiple blows on you. I fear you've lost your touch, Sebastian." I knew he was joking because it was clear who had won the fight. I looked down and saw the Earth move beneath me, and I reached up to touch my head and steady myself. The ground stopped rotating, but my hand came back bloody.

"Where did you learn to fight, Charlotte?"

"Ask him," I sneered, my eyes darting over to Sebastian, but I refused to look in those eyes. They were too familiar. "He already knows."

My side was bleeding profusely. I thought it had been a flesh wound, but maybe it was something more. The Earth was spinning again.

A hand touched my arm, trying to steady me. It belonged to the demon.

I quickly jerked away from the touch. "Don't touch me, Dominic!" I screamed. "You can't have it! You can't have it!"

"Dominic…?" I heard Ciel's voice ask before I tripped over myself and fell to the ground.

_You can't have my soul._


	4. A Surprising Offer

**AN: Thanks to everyone who has shown me such kind encouragement. I appreciate all the favorites and reviews. Thanks and enjoy!**

I woke up on a white bed in a blue room. The demon Sebastian was bent over me, threading a needle.

Gasping, I rolled away from him and off the bed. I stood in the corner, on the far side of the room from him. "My soul is not your lunch," I sneered, balling my fists for the inevitable fight. "Just let me leave, I won't come after the boy again, I swear. I was only in this for the money. And I only wanted the money to get far away from here."

"Sebastian will not eat your soul." I hadn't realized that Ciel was sitting on a chair near the demon. I seemed to have a sixth sense for demons, and everything else was just white noise. Ciel Phantomhive wasn't even looking at me, he was sipping on a cup of tea.

"I was merely stitching up that ugly gash on your side," Sebastian replied, a smile playing on his face that made me very uncomfortable. He was lying. All demons are liars.

I turned to the boy. "Please, I meant what I said. I'll leave, and you'll never see me again. Isn't that what you want?" I begged. Dominic would have said this was beneath me, but I would take any hope of life over inevitable death and loss of my soul.

"I want to know why you saved me," he said calmly. No ounce of my fear was affecting him. Maybe he got his cold ways from his demon, or maybe he was just like that all the time. I didn't care to find out.

"I'm not in the business of harming people. I just wanted some fast money, and Claire—that girl I was with—said you were just the thing we needed. I didn't want to hurt you, I swear, I just wanted something of which you have plenty."

Ciel looked at his butler, and they seemed to have a silent conversation. I touched my head and realized that my forehead was bandaged. They were trying to heal me.

"Why haven't you killed me?" I asked, although the question sounded like I was excited for such a thing. I cringed, "I mean, thanks for not killing me."

The smile reappeared on the demon's face and Ciel mirrored it. "You spared me, I spare you. Besides, you definitely impressed me with your fighting ability. I've never seen someone take on Sebastian the way you did who didn't have some sort of supernatural ability. Let alone a woman."

I stole a glance at the demon. He seemed completely unharmed and totally calm. I wasn't really a threat to him, and he knew it.

"You're too kind," I muttered, inching towards the door. "So, if we've agreed that we are not enemies, am I free to leave?"

"Right now, you are my guest. And you are free to stay the night," Ciel said waving towards the bed as he stood up. Sebastian followed his lead. "However, I had something more permanent in mind."

"Your unique skills are exactly what I look for in Phantomhive's staff, and the young lord would like to offer you a position here, if you would be interested," the butler said. "There is competitive pay with biannual raises dependent upon performance and other benefits."

"Uh-huh," I nodded, sliding towards the door again. "Tempting. But I'll have to pass."

"I wouldn't be so quick to decline this offer," Sebastian said, moving closer. "The criminal lifestyle is nothing compared to a life as a servant here. And benefits include protection against any enemies."

_They have the same eyes. Dominic and Sebastian. Do all demons have the same eyes? _

"And who is going to protect me against my enemies here?" I mumbled, mostly to myself. But Ciel responded anyways.

"Sebastian will not harm you as long as you are a member of my staff or a guest in my house, that much I can assure you."

"And if I leave?"

Ciel smirked, "It's a big world. Plenty of dangers I can't control. But you seem more than capable of defending yourself."

I groaned. There wasn't much of a choice. Either fend for myself in the big, cruel world like I had been with relative success for a year, or stay here with a contracted demon and some manner of protection and structure. I would just be trading devils.

"Can I sleep on it?" I asked after a long sigh.

"Of course," Ciel said opening the door to leave. "Sebastian will see to your needs-"

I cut him off with a quick, "No thanks."

"Very well, I look forward to hearing your decision tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," I replied wearily.

Sebastian followed Ciel. "Don't keep the master waiting too long, Charlotte," he said before slowly shutting the door.

**AN: Thanks to everyone who has shown me such kind encouragement. I appreciate all the favorites and reviews. Thanks and enjoy!**


	5. The Demon Dominic

**AN: Ahh, I've been so excited to post this chapter because it's the introduction to the story's main villain. Sebastian was a little too nice of a demon, so I just wanted to show what the other side might be like. Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement so far! Read/ fav/ review, I love you!**

"I can't believe you ran. What a damn embarrassment. It's like you've learned nothing at all from me." I was stirred awake by a repetitive pain, as common as the beating of my heart. Dominic was leaning over me, threading the needle through my gash.

My mouth opened up to scream, but his long white hand quickly stifled any noise before I could fully bring it to conception. His dark nails dug into my face, and turned my head to face him. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him.

"Charlotte, Charlotte. You didn't think that you could outrun me this easily did you? You know that I can find you anywhere, right?" He shook my head, so that I had to nod. There was no way I could muster a vocal reply for him. Tears were pushing out of my eyes.

"I mean, you thought hopping the pond would stop me? Ha. I just convinced my new master to come over here. And if you run, I'll convince him that the investments are better in Spain or Italy or Germany or wherever you try to go. He's all about the money, this new master. But he's stupid. You could go to the North Pole, and I'd convince him that there was money to be found under the ice."

He grimaced at the tears that were touching his hand. "Quiet," he demanded before he removed his hand to wipe on my bed sheets. I tried to move away from him but he had my arm in a vice grip as strong as an anaconda. "Stay still, Charlotte. You know I can't stand when you squirm."

Dominic gathered up the needle and thread in his long white fingers and started to stitch me back up again. The pain was the same rhythmic one that had woken me earlier. Hadn't I already stitched myself up, after Ciel and his demon butler left?

My personal hell seemed to know my thoughts. He had always been that way. "You did a terrible job at stitching this. Truly repulsive. I know I trained you better. I'm redoing it for you. I can't have you dying of infection before you're finished."

Dominic liked his souls broken, hopeless and depressed. He liked to say that I was half way to his liking: fragile, desperate, and frightened. But he still had work to do on me. That's why he visited me so frequently; he was trying to wear me down.

The needle went in and out, crossing over itself to form tiny x's. I realized my shirt was so far up that my breast was exposed. There was no need for the nightshirt to be that high for him to stitch me. I lifted my hand to pull it down, but Dominic grabbed at my wrist and held it far away. "Don't be modest, my little Charlotte. You know I've seen it all before."

My stomach dropped and I wanted to be sick. Dominic loved to bring it up, because he knew that it made me revile him and myself. How could I have been so stupid? How is it I hadn't been able to see what he truly was earlier?

I knew the answer. Because Dominic always got what he wanted. And now he wanted my soul.

In and out. Criss, cross. In and out. Criss, cross.

"All done," Dominic cheerfully stated and tore the thread with his sharp teeth. He kept his mouth pressed against the stitched gash and licked at some blood. I shivered all over, as if someone had rubbed an icicle down my back, and Dominic turned his head to look at me. His eyes were that horrifying violet again, swirling with dark shadows that could only come from a place worse than hell. "Delicious. You'll be a soul to savor, my dear Charlotte. I can't hardly wait."

"You'll have to wait sometime, I'm afraid," I turned and saw Sebastian in the open doorway, his eyes also that same terrible violet. "As she is under _my _master's roof, she can't be harmed. That is my order."

Dominic stood up and I quickly pulled my shirt down and moved away from both of the demons. Sebastian moved in on him, and Dominic retreated towards the open window, which I guessed was how he entered.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of a colleague and his orders," Dominic smirked, arms raised in mock surrender. "But as I'm sure you can tell, I've already stained her soul. She belongs to me, whether she is here or not."

"A contract is stronger than a stain. But you already knew that. If you had one of those, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Clearly she was too wise for that."

Dominic's eyes darkened, both of the demons sneered at each other. "Or she's just not desperate enough… yet," Dominic sneered.

"You should be leaving," Sebastian declared. "Before I throw you out myself."

Dominic stared Sebastian down before turning to me. His eyes were as dark and dangerous as ever. "Until we meet again, Charlotte. You can't hide forever."


	6. The Phantomhive Servants

**AN: I felt like there was definitely a need for a lighthearted chapter after that last one! Enjoy! : )**

Understandably, I wasn't able to sleep the rest of the night. Around dawn, a red-haired maid opened my door and jumped a little, seeing that I was already awake. "Good morning, miss," she said cheerfully, albeit nervously. "The lord would like to offer you use of a tub, if you choose. I can go fetch it for you."

A tub? I couldn't even remember the last time I bathed sufficiently. It was probably back in America. I quickly told her that would be wonderful, and she left hastily.

A small blonde lad came in holding the tub over his head. I knew the small tin tub probably didn't weigh that much, but he still seemed oddly strong for his size. And when he set down the tub, I realized that it was already filled with hot water, because it splashed everywhere, including me.

"Ah!" he squealed, "I'm so sorry, miss!"

"No, it's fine," I waved off his apology. "I was going to get wet anyways. It's kind of the point." Then, after a second of thought, "You're incredibly strong," I told him with a smile. He returned it warmly.

"Thanks. Yeah, I am pretty strong, I guess." He held out his hand and said happily, "I'm Finnian. I'm the gardener."

"Nice to meet you."

"Here you go miss!" The maid said as she hurried back into the room. "I got you some soaps and oils." But when I took the items from her, I realized that the oil was vegetable oil.

"Mey-Rin!" A voice shouted from down the hall. "Why did you take my vegetable oil? I'm trying to cook over here, don't you know!" I grinned, recognizing a fellow American. He was tall and blonde and he entered angrily until he saw me. "Oh, my apologies miss."

"You're American too," I said and held out my hand. "I'm Charlotte."

"I'm Bardroy, the chef. Pleasure to meet ya." He took the oil from me and said to the maid. "Vegetable oil, Mey-Rin? Really?"

The red head moved her face closer to the bottle and jostled her circular glasses. They were about as thick as my thumb and they clearly needed to be thicker. "You know I can't see up-close very well. I'm terribly farsighted, I'm so sorry Miss Charlotte. I'll get the bath oil right away, yes I will."

I smiled at them, they really seemed like a genuine bunch. "No, no. Soap is fine. Thank you."

"Alright then, if you're sure," she said, her face flushed red.

She and Bardroy were walking towards the door when the chef called out, "Finny, stop staring at the girl! Come on now!" The boy blushed and ran out the room as well.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I shut the door. I didn't know how Ciel Phantomhive could possibly see something in me that would make him think I would fit in here, but I was incredibly flattered that he did.

The bath was perfect and I could have stayed in there forever. But I knew at some point I would be expected to show up to breakfast, so I got every flake of dirt off me before I crawled out of the tub.

Even though I was clean, I still looked terrible. I was covered in bruises, and my stitched side was red and puffy. When I looked in the mirror, I remembered that my head was bandaged as well. I was pretty embarrassed that the house servants had seen me look so bad.

_You are already weak, so don't look it. Cover up any problems; otherwise people will spot you as a target from a mile away_, Dominic's dark voice coached me from my memory. I turned away from the mirror.

I took the bandage off my head and realized that the cut had already scabbed over. It still looked bad, but I found some scissors in the nightstand, and I just cut my hair into a nice fringe to cover my busted forehead. After I braided the rest of my hair back and got dressed back in my old clothes, I felt pretty good.

Until Sebastian came knocking on my door.

"Ahh, I see you took advantage of the tub. I trust it was to your liking?"

I nodded and crossed my arms. The butler didn't seem to care that I wasn't very talkative.

"The young master requests your presence at breakfast. Come this way, please."


	7. Easier to Run

**AN: Two chapters in one day, I'm on a roll ; ) I woke up to so many nice comments and because many of you wanted to know what Charlotte was going to do, so here you go!**

Sebastian led me down the hall to a large dinning room. Ciel was already sitting with a plate of food and a cup of tea when I arrived. He politely stood up and Sebastian pulled a chair out for me next to Ciel.

"Sebastian tells me you had a late night visitor," Ciel started. I bit my tongue at the memory. "Please, have a seat." We both sat down at the same time.

"This morning we have a green tea infused with pomegranates," Sebastian startled me when he bent over my shoulder to pour my cup. His mouth twitched slightly in a smile, and then he backed away. "We also have eggs benedict and toast for breakfast, Miss Charlotte." I nodded my thanks, and the demon moved over to stand behind his master.

"Tell me about him, this demon," Ciel stated, taking a bite of his breakfast. "You called him Dominic."

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was Dominic's dark face. It was so similar to Sebastian's. I quickly opened my eyes again and took a sip of tea. It burned my tongue.

"Dominic was the name that my brother gave him," I said after a long pause. "After he signed the contract with him. I'm sure he goes by something else now."

The boy nodded, stirring his tea with a spoon as he stared me down. "That's how you were able to recognize Sebastian so quickly. You've been familiar with demons before."

I scoffed at the word 'familiar.' It was too amicable for me. "Dominic lived with us after our parents were murdered. They were good people, a doctor and a nurse. It wasn't fair that they had to die and leave us behind. And John, my brother, he resented how cruel life was. So, he summoned the demon Dominic."

"What was his wish?" Ciel asked curiously.

"Isn't it what everyone wishes for who has gone through something so tragic?" I asked.

"Revenge," Sebastian answered for me, and I turned to him. How many souls had he feasted on who merely wanted what they thought was just? How many people like my brother…

"I'm sorry," I said, pushing the chair back to stand. "I just… I can't." The demon was suddenly at my side, trying to grab my arm to assist me. I pushed him away. "I can't sit here and just pretend…"

"Sebastian, leave us," Ciel demanded and the demon bowed.

"As you order, my lord," and then he gracefully flittered out of the dinning room.

Ciel was standing now too. "Please, sit. You haven't touched your food yet."

"I don't have an appetite," I said briskly. "I'm sorry. Thanks for your hospitality, but I just-"

"I'm not going to beg for you to stay," Ciel said, waving off the rest of my embarrassing prattle. "You can leave if you'd like. I took pity on you because you saved me. You saved me when there was no benefit for you. Had you not acted, Sebastian would have come to my aid because of the contract. But instead, you did."

"I'm part of the reason you were even in danger in the first place," I said with a sigh. I still didn't understand why he cared. Why would anyone care about someone like me? "Look, Dominic wants my soul, contract or not. If I stay here, he'll know where to find me. It's easier to run."

"I think you're just too afraid to stay here and face your fears. Demons frighten you, as well they should, but your fear of Sebastian is irrational. He cannot harm you when I have commanded otherwise."

"My brother commanded otherwise too! He commanded Dominic to train me so that I could always protect myself. And then John's wish was granted and Dominic devoured my brother's soul. And now there is nobody standing in between me and Dominic now."

"Except Sebastian and I, if you decide to stay. But it seems as though you've made up your mind. Leave or stay, it doesn't matter to me."

"My soul is the only thing that I value in life. It's all that I have to truly call my own. It's all that I have left that reminds me of the person I was before everything went so wrong." I held out my hand. "This is goodbye. Thanks for the hospitality. It has certainly been something I won't soon forget."

"Until we meet again," Ciel said, taking my hand. Then he spun on his heel and sauntered out of the room, dismissing me.


	8. On Her Own

The streets of England are much more unforgiving than America. Cramp and dirty and not a soul looks out of place. The merchants tended to their wares, the whores to their corners, the noblemen to their pocket watches, and the ladies to their skirts. There were lines drawn in the sand: the rich and noble elite, the hardworking middle class, the dirty and poor lower class, and the criminals. And then there was me.

I had to get out of England.

It took me but an hour to pickpocket enough money to buy lunch and a boat ride to Duisburg, Germany. I didn't know anything about Germany, but the Germans had the least expensive price and I didn't have enough money to go anywhere better. The only problem was that they weren't leaving until midnight, when the tide was high again.

So I wandered around until night fell and all the stores closed, then I picked the most deserted alley I could find and hoped no one would bother me until midnight.

But when have I ever been so lucky.

"Look at this gutter trash, boys," a dirty, drunk man called as he stumbled down the alley. He had three friends with them, who were all snickering. "How much?" he asked me.

"More than you can afford," I mumbled back. I was sitting down, with my back against a wall. Strategically, I should have been standing, but I didn't much care. I could handle this sitting and blindfolded, but I didn't need the challenge.

The man stuck out his leg to kick me in the side and I caught it effortlessly. He was already intoxicated, so when I thrust his limb away from me, he toppled off-balance and fell into his friends.

"Argh! Who does this bitch think she is?"

"I'm not a bitch," I retorted, as anther man reached down to get a fistful of my hair. I popped off my but and head-butted him in his lower jaw. He passed out instantly. A third came at me with a knife, but just as with the kick, I caught his wild swing with my right hand and punched him twice in the nose and once in the gut.

The last man gathered up his unconscious friend and ran out of the alley with the other two losers.

The whole thing lasted less than a minute.

"Well, don't look like you're trying too hard, Charlotte. Wouldn't want anyone to think that you actually have some real skill, huh?" Dominic taunted, as he stepped out of the shadows. I instantly scrambled to my feet. This wasn't a fight I had any hope of winning, and even less if I stayed sitting.

"Dominic, please… I-"

The demon cut me off instantly. "Stop, Charlotte. You know how I hate to hear you beg." He was wearing a nice suit and top hat, fitting for someone impersonating a business partner for a rich man. His dark hair was slicked back under the hat, but when he took it off a few black strands fell to frame his face. His dark eyes gleamed at me, as strong as his smirk.

"Now, lets see if you can make me sweat," He darted at me, quick as the viper I imagined he was. He struck first, with a blow to my stomach that sent all the air out of me. I tried to kick him but he caught my foot and flipped me to the ground. "Sad, Charlotte. This is really sad." He put his foot into my back, pressing down with his weight as if he wanted to cripple me. Maybe he did, Dominic never used to go easy on me. Not even when he first started to train me.

I remembered that it took me an entire year to land even one punch on him. That was an entire year of me being beaten to near unconsciousness, just for one lame tap on the demon's arm. Pathetic. He was right. I was a sorry case indeed.

He removed his foot (I'm guessing to kick me), but that was just enough time for me to unsheathe the knife I had hidden in the folds of my dress. I stuck him hard in the leg, and Dominic jumped back. I scooted away from the demon as fast as I could. Dominic growled in pain and pulled the knife from his leg, and all four inches were bloody.

His eyes turned that horrible shade of violet and he began to laugh at me. "Charlotte, what did I say about giving up your weapon?"

_Never give up the weapon. Give up the weapon, give up your life. _

Or in this case, my soul.


	9. D' for Danger

**AN: I really like dark, terrible stories, and this chapter has a lot of that. So if you are squeamish and don't like torture, then skip this chapter. The next one is a lot of Charlotte-Sebastian bonding time, so it will make up for the scary stuff in this one. Enjoy! **

The demon dove at me with his inhumane speed. I tried to swing out of his way but he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him, like some kind of terrible tango. He was pressed into my back, holding my face with his long left hand, while his right played with the knife in front of my face. I tried to elbow and kick him in the shins or feet, but Dominic wasn't flinching.

"Shush, shush," he tried to calm me, because I was becoming too noisy for my futile struggle. Dominic hated any screams or grunts or moans; they were just me declaring my weakness. I bit my tongue so he wouldn't threaten cutting it out.

"Now you lost this battle, my dear Charlotte, again. You know, your brother wanted me to train you better than this. I feel like this year apart from me has made you a lot weaker. Do you agree, Charlotte?" Just like the previous night, he had control of me, and he forced me to nod. "Tell me what you did wrong this time."

"Fell asleep in an alley," I joked dryly, but regretted my words instantly. Dominic never found my humor entertaining.

"Very funny," he sneered, pushing the knife into my throat. "Now, I'll ask you again. What did you do wrong this time?" His mouth was tickling my ear in the most horrible way I've ever felt. "And I'll give you a hint," he whispered, "It starts with a 'D.'"

"The dagger," I squeaked out, feeling the blade cut into my skin enough to draw blood. "I lost the dagger."

He moved the blade away from my neck and danced it across my chest. "Yes, you did do that wrong. But I was thinking of something else." Dominic paused the blade above my left breast, below the collarbone.

"Dominic," I whimpered, as the blade dug in, deeper than I had feared. He dragged it down and then around. And when I started to scream, he covered my mouth.

"Yes, that's right. It was 'D' for Dominic. Because you thought you could beat me, a demon. You can't. And you never will be able to. And it's 'd' for distress, and disappointment, and disgrace. And 'd' for being _so damn weak_." He finished maiming me and spun me around to face him. "Stop crying, Charlotte. Now you won't forget this lesson. You can't beat Dominic."

And then he shoved me into the wall, where my head slammed into the brick with an unhealthy _crack. _

I woke up when a brown and white tabby cat started to lick at my hand. I was dazed and it took me a few minutes to even remember what I was doing in the alley in the first place. I saw the dried blood all over the front of my dress, and it all came back to me.

Dominic, of course.

I pulled myself to my feet with the help of the wall and suddenly remembered my plan to escape this wretched country. After feeling around my pockets for my boat ticket for a few frantic minutes, I realized it was gone. My knife was sitting in the dirt, and scrawled in the brown haze was 'AND NO DRUISBURG FOR YOU.'

I picked up the knife and kicked around the dirt, just to spite Dominic. But then part of me was afraid he was still watching me, so I glanced around the alley. It seemed completely uninhabited, besides me and the cat.

The streets were very much empty this late at night. I past the port and saw the ships were all gone. It must have been past midnight. In the window of one of the shops was a small sewing kit and gin. After selecting a good-sized stone, I smashed in the window and grabbed the items before retreating back into the alley.

I slumped back down to the ground and popped the alcohol open with my knife (after I ran it through my dress to clean it of my dried blood and alley dirt). I took a quick swig, decided that the flavor was much to vile for me as it burned its path down my throat, and then poured the rest onto my cut. It burned something fierce, and the cat came back over to lick at the dripping booze.

I found that my hands were rather stiff and ungainly after the fight, which made threading the needle a real hassle. When it came down to actually stitching up my 'D' my hand was shaking so terribly, I feared this would take all night.

In and out. Criss, cross. In and out. Criss, cross.

I was biting my lip to keep from crying, this was taking so long. My hand was shaking like the wings of a fly, and I kept pricking myself on accident.

"Please, allow me to assist."


	10. Steady Hands

I glanced up at the voice, although I already recognized the speaker. I let an irritated groan escape my lips. "Not another," I whined, but when I realized how weak and incompetent I sounded, I shut my mouth. "I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't need a demon's help."

"I've been told I have very steady hands," Sebastian said as he knelt before me. I motioned to swat him away, but he caught my hand in the air. I wasn't really looking to fight in my current state, and he knew it. "Please," he said again and I sighed in defeated compliance.

Sebastian took the needle from my shaking hands and paused to stare at the shape of the gash. He sighed and started to stitch up the hideous mark. "Did Ciel send you to convince me to return?" I asked just to break the uncomfortable silence. I hadn't had a demon this close to me, helping me… ever. His face was inches from mine, and his fingers were just about on my…

No. I wasn't actually thinking this.

"To convince you? No. He was merely curious as to where you had decided to go. I came to check the ships, found that you had bought a ticket but saw you never boarded. Then I searched for a while until I heard the window shatter. I've been watching you since."

"Well, you found me."

"Indeed."

I watched as Sebastian expertly finished the stitching. He tied the thread into a neat knot and broke the string with a snap of his fingers.

"All finished," he said with a quick smile. He scratched the top of the cat's head and stood up to give me some space. I followed his lead.

"Thank you, Sebastian," I said. I was surprised that the words weren't forced.

"It was my pleasure," he said with a courteous bow. "If I couldn't stitch up a little gash, then what kind of butler would I be?" He took a few steps back and said, "If there isn't anything else that I can assist you with, then I will take my leave. Goodnight, Miss Charlotte."

Something about the way Sebastian smiled and bowed struck a cord within me. When he turned on his heel and began to walk down the alley, I felt something. And for once, that feeling wasn't fear.

"Wait," I called and began to walk towards him. "If you aren't in a hurry, maybe we could walk together?" I asked.

He looked at me curiously, as if this wasn't what he had expected from me at all. It wasn't what _I _expected from me. I couldn't explain what was compelling me to stay with him, but I knew that if I continued I would figure it out.

I didn't want to stay the same—be the same girl—anymore. And the old Charlotte would never have walked with a demon of her own accord.

The demon nodded, "If you wouldn't be too uncomfortable by my presence."

I didn't respond because there was a part of me that _was _uncomfortable around Sebastian. But I forced myself to power through the fear. "I don't believe I should be uncomfortable around someone who has helped me like you have."

"I merely helped you stitch up a cut. You were proving more than capable of doing it yourself."

I smiled. "I learned from my parents."

"A doctor and a nurse, I remember." I was surprised that Sebastian had remembered such a small detail.

"Correct. And… Dominic, of course," I sighed. I felt myself moving to a dark place. The red blood on my dress caught my eye, and I happened to see the 'D' carving again.

In a black flash, Sebastian had taken off his tailcoat and draped it over my shoulders. "You must be cold, here," he said. I noticed that the oversized tailcoat covered the mark completely.

I was too shocked at first, but then I grinned. "You seem to be both incredibly similar and diametrically opposed to Dominic. Thank you."

He nodded, we were almost all the way through the city, but there was still a half hour walk to the Phantomhive estate.

"I see what he fancies about you now," Sebastian said, eyes ahead. "You are extraordinarily strong-willed and independent. It's surprisingly rare. It's what I find so alluring about my master as well."

A shiver rocked my body and I shut my eyes for a second. It didn't escape the demon's notice. "My apologies. I shouldn't be so frank," he said quickly.

"No, no. I appreciate the honesty. But I think you are mistaken. Dominic doesn't want my soul for that; he loves the challenge of breaking a soul down into its most raw, sore emotions. Any strength you see now is the antithesis of what Dominic desires."

Sebastian didn't respond, and my mind started to wander. "Do all demon's try to cultivate souls? Bend and mold, or break and grow?" I asked sadly. It seemed like such a shame to try to change the truest nature of a person. I imagined that everyone soul had something to offer, but perhaps that was because I had never consumed one before.

The demon stayed silent for a few seconds, and then I thought _I_ might be the one who would have to apologize for being frank. But then Sebastian said, "There is a lot more to savor after spending so much energy on a particular soul. Like crafting a delicacy from raw ingredients. It takes time and patience and effort." And then, after a long moment, he added, "That's probably why your demon spends so much time torturing you."

"Hmm," I chuckled slightly. "You make me sound like a pastry."

"A delicious one, I'm sure."

And that's when I realized what was drawing me to Sebastian. He was building me up. That's how he was so different from Dominic, whose sole goal in life was to destroy me. I had figured it out earlier: Dominic wasn't interested in the strong, whole version of me… he just wanted the pieces. He wanted me broken and weak. I suppose I had actually known this as long as I had known Dominic.

Why had it taken me so long to learn?

I became aware that we were approaching the manor. I had been thinking for most of the walk. As we stepped onto the long, ornate porch, I took off Sebastian's tailcoat and returned it to him. "The pathetic girl you saw in the alley doesn't exist anymore," I told him. "She is dead, and she took the weak part of me with her. But the real me is still alive and well. And she is here to stay."

"Welcome to Phantomhive Manor," Sebastian said with a small grin and glimmer in his eyes. And the door swung open for me.

**AN: Sorry this one took forever to publish, I've been in the process of moving back to school and it's long and tiring! But I made this chapter extra long for you, so enjoy. ; ) Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. You are all very sweet and encouraging! **


	11. Initiation

"So, you're a maid?"

"No, are blind? She's a nurse."

"Do we really need a nurse? We don't get hurt that often. Oh! Sorry Charlotte, that was incredibly rude! I didn't mean to say that you were useless or anything!" Mey-Rin cried out, flustered and red.

"No, it's fine," I replied with a laugh. "I was thinking the same thing myself. But Tanaka assured me that there would be plenty of work. He said that you all were quite accident-prone."

"_Accident-prone_?" Bardroy exclaimed incredulously, pointing at Tanaka, who didn't seem even remotely alarmed. "What gives you the right to sit there and judge us?"

"I think he's saying that we blow things up, set fire to things, break things, and trip-and-fall on a regular basis," Finnian explained only to be met with a glare.

"Well, he can think that all he wants but we do our best," Bardroy insisted. I just shrugged. So far, I hadn't seen too many mistakes, but I had only been here for a few hours. The day was still young, we were just eating breakfast.

"And besides," Mey-Rin squeaked, "Sebastian makes me nervous! How can I be expected to do things right when watching me with those deep, dark, penetrating eyes? Ooh!" She quickly covered her face with a napkin in embarrassment. I tried to stifle a giggle. Tanaka just chuckled in the corner and drank some steamy tea.

"Well, you know that this isn't a normal job, right Charlotte?" Bardroy asked. I raised an eyebrow at him, so that he would continue. "You know that I'm not _really _a chef, right?"

"Yeah, Sebastian does most of the cooking because Bardroy burns it," Finnian said.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Bardroy screamed, slamming his fist down on the table and rattling all our plates. I managed to catch Finnian's glass before it teetered off the table and set it back down. No one noticed. "I meant that I'm actually a soldier, and Mey-Rin's a sniper and you're some mad scientist's accident."

"Oh," Finnian said sadly, and shoved a piece of toast into his mouth.

"So, what are you?" Bardroy demanded. "You're not really a nurse, tell us."

"Well, I can fight," I said simply. I didn't want to go into details about Dominic's training considering how I was fairly certain none of them knew how close they were to a demon themselves. The group looked at me blankly. _We can all fight_, I knew was the sum of their thoughts. "I can fight really well."

"Hmm," the chef mumbled, "alright then."

"Do you want a demonstration?" I asked because his tone insulted me on a superficial level. I felt like he doubted me because I was a girl.

"Sure. Fight Mey-Rin."

"Why? She's not the one questioning me. I'll fight you."

"No, it's not fair." _Just what I thought. _

"Yeah, not fair for you," I said snidely. Bardroy stood up, and extinguished the cigarette that hung from his mouth in what was left of his sunny-side-up eggs.

"Ok, what are the rules then, my American sister?"

"If you can land a hit on me, than you win. And then I win when you give up. Deal?" I asked as I took off my nurse's headband and started to re-tie it around my eyes.

"Sure. Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm blindfolding myself," I replied. "So you can get an accurate judgment of my abilities."

Bardroy laughed, and I heard his heavy feet move closer to me, and a little more to my left than centered. He was already trying to trick me. "You can start," I offered.

It was actually much easier to hear him than I had initially guessed. The wood creaked beneath him, giving me a good judgment of which side of his body he was using and his weight distribution. At first, he was just leaning forward to push me, as if it would be that easy. I side-stepped him and pushed him, quick and firm. His right shoulder was firm with musculature, but I felt him tense at my touch. Now he knew I was for real.

There was the slightest give in the floor, and I assessed he was moving to the right and it was a left-hook punch. I did a simple martial arts move, in which you grab the person's arm and hit them in the crook of the elbow so that they hit themselves. It's not meant to harm the attacker, so much as it is to embarrass them. It worked.

Bardroy huffed, and his breathing became louder as he started to take this fight seriously.

"Come on Bardo!" Finnian shouted. "You look like this is your first playground brawl."

Dominic had always loved fights like this, where you lose one of your senses. Many of my fights had been in pitch-black rooms, or in under a thick forest canopy at night. Dominic said he thrived in the dark, and so did many bad guys, and it was best that I learn how to thrive there too. I always thought that the hearing deprivation exercises were harder. Being in a room blaring with music or having my ears stuffed with wax was the worst. If I couldn't hear what Dominic was saying, or if I lost sight of him, it was over. I lost every fight I ever had with Dominic, but because of those losses, I had never lost against anyone else.

Bardroy moved for a quick one-two style punch, and I backed away from him in time to avoid it. Then I struck him with my own quick attack, a sharp kick to the ribs followed by a one-two to the chest. I felt him lurch to grab me but I fell backwards, and flipped back up on my feet after a few fast kicks to his chest. Mey-Rin squeaked in excitement.

"You are better than I thought you would be," Bardroy huffed, and I could tell there was a smile on his face.

"You giving up so soon?" I taunted.

"Hardly," and then he ran at me, fists swinging. I ducked out of the way, and he followed me. We entered into a dance where I was just centimeters from being hit at any one time. I could feel the wind from his punches tickle my skin, as I barely avoided them. "I thought this was a fight!" Bardroy grunted as his 50th punch failed to land on me.

"Me too!" I laughed and stepped on his toes before elbowing him in the stomach.

"You fight like a girl!" he moaned.

"I _am _a girl," I replied and stopped dancing to face him, fists up. The floor gave him away again, and I felt him move in for his first kick. I grabbed his leg and flipped him up on his back. The chef expelled a loud _oof _as he hit the floor_. _

"That's enough," I recognized the cold, stern voice immediately and the gasps and squeaks of Finnian and Mey-Rin only confirmed it: Sebastian. "Stop fooling around. You all have work to be doing."

"Yes, Sebastian!" Mey-Rin and Finnian squawked, and I removed my headband just in time to see them dart out the door.

"Ok, I think you won," Bardroy groaned, and I offered my hand to pull him up. "Sorry Sebastian, I just wanted to see what she's all about."

"I trust you weren't disappointed?" I said with a smile. Bardroy mimicked it, if not a little painfully, and cracked his back.

"Yeah, but now I think I'm in love."

**AN: Sorry I've been absent for a while! School's been kicking my butt, but I'll try to get writing on this so I can go back to some semblance of a schedule. Thanks again to all the people who commented and favorited this story, you make me smile. : )**


	12. A Day's Work

Tanaka promised me a significant workload, and he did not disappoint. I cleaned the dishes after breakfast and then asked Mey-Rin what I could do to help. She directed me to the dinning room where she wanted me to start cleaning for a business dinner that was to happen later that night. I think I was a quarter of the way through polishing the wooden table when there was a thunderous crash and Mey-Rin's terrified scream.

"What's wrong?" I asked and saw her lying in a pile of cracked and shattered dishes. The dishes that I had just cleaned. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just—" she glanced around at her mess and moaned, "Sebastian is going to be so mad!"

"No, no," I consoled her, kneeling beside her and hearing more porcelain crack under my feet. "We'll clean this up and buy some new plates tonight. He'll never notice."

"He always notices. Why am I so careless!" She reached up to cover her face and saw that her hands were covered in blood. She squealed. "Oh my!"

"Careful, careful," I said and took her hands. "You have some shards in here, I can get them out. Come this way," and I gently lead her to the meager medical kit. I plucked the shards of glass and porcelain out as quickly and painlessly as I could, but from personal experience I knew it must have been very painful. But Mey-Rin, with all her social awkwardness and lack of grace, was actually totally calm at the sight of blood and hardly winced at any discomfort. The cuts weren't deep enough to require stitching, so I wrapped them up in some gauze and sent her on her way.

"Thanks, Charlotte. You know, it's really nice having another friend here."

I smiled at her and she left.

A friend. I couldn't even remember the last friend I had made. After my parents were killed, my whole world fell apart. I lost contact with all of my previous friends, because I just didn't care about them anymore. Then, when Dominic darkened up my life, he prevented anyone from getting close enough to be a friend.

Now I had a friend. Maybe even several. It was pretty amazing.

I cleaned up the broken dishes and started to polish the table again. I managed to get half way through that task before another noise rocked the mansion.

An explosion.

"What was that?" I shouted and ran for the door. Mey-Rin was in the hallway already, running towards the kitchen, so I followed her. I heard Finnian echo my question from behind me. Smoke was billowing out of the kitchen, but it quickly settled into ashy debris at our feet.

"Bard? Are you alright?" Mey-Rin squealed as she grabbed Bard off the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright I suppose," he said, then coughed and wiped a thick layer of ash off his face. The counter and cabinets had been incinerated, only the large iron stove was still in that corner of the kitchen. "I was fiddling with the gas line right there, and—you know how new that stupid thing is, I still don't know how it works—but I turned off the gas, and I don't know, it just exploded."

"Were you smoking?" I asked. Remembering how Bard almost always had a cigarette in the corner of his lips.

"Well, yeah, but the gas was off."

"Maybe the gas hadn't dispersed yet."

"Hmm," Bardroy guffawed. "A fighter and a genius. Probably thinks she should be Queen too." I rolled my eyes and Bardroy shooed us all out. "I gotta clean this up before Sebastian or Lord Phantomhive sees. Go, get out of here and stop drawing attention to it."

Finnian nudged me as we left. "He's just jealous because you're smarter than him. He doesn't like to get upstaged."

"There's always someone smarter, or bigger or stronger," I said with a shrug. "He needs to get over it."

We went our separate ways for a few hours, and I was two thirds of the way through polishing the table when lunch was called. All the servants reconvened in the breakfast nook to eat sandwiches that Bard had scrounged up in his mess of a kitchen. They tasted like they were dusted with ash.

Bardroy had a plate of ice that he hauled out with him and then sat his left arm on top of it.

"Did you get burned?" Finnian asked when he saw.

"Yeah, a little, no big deal." With his sleeve rolled up, I could see that it was actually a pretty bad burn. Placing it directly on ice wasn't good for it. But I bit my tongue and continued to eat, because of how badly Bardroy had acted last time I talked to him.

Bardroy stopped icing his left arm and moved to the right which was just as badly burned. Now I felt bad.

"Charlotte helped me today, she plucked some glass from my hands for me. Maybe there's something she can do for you?" Mey-Rin said, glancing between Bard and myself. Bard shook his head fervently.

"No, I got this. In war, we had to make do with what we could find all the time. Rub some snow or some dirt on it, and you're good to go. I'm fine."

"I get that your being very macho right now, but if you rub too much ice on it, your skin might come off," I said simply between bites of my sandwich.

"_What?" _May-Rin and Finnian cried in unison. Bard looked a level paler.

"Fine, I'll just go get some dirt then," He huffed, stood up, and threw the ice out the window to water the flowers.

"Or you could just rest your arms in some milk," I replied evenly, although I was a tiny bit irritated. "It will soothe the burn without freezing off any damaged or healing skin."

"How do you know all this?" Finnian asked in awe.

"My mom was a nurse. I remember some of the tricks."

Bardroy didn't say anything as he left, but a few minutes later he returned with some milk.

"Better?" I asked.

"Yeah, I suppose," he huffed, still trying to be tough.

"What should you say to Charlotte?" Mey-Rin hummed like a mom to a naughty child.

"Thanks, Charlotte," Bardroy said halfheartedly.

"You're welcome."

There was still quite a bit of time between when our lunch was supposed to end and now, and we were all pretty much done eating the ashwiches that Bard had created. So I said, "I showed you all what I could do yesterday, why don't you guys show off for me?"

Finnian eagerly grinned and leapt up. "Alright! Look out the window and I'll show you how strong I am!" We all turned to the window and Finnian darted outside.

The little guy ran out into the field next to an apple tree and then wrapped his arms around the trunk as if he were giving it a hug. He was too small to get his arms all the way around the trunk, but suddenly, the tree lifted from the soil with a few _snaps _of some reluctant roots. "See?" Finnian shouted, his voice distant. He started to carry the tree closer to the garden, and it was swinging carelessly, as if he were holding a baseball bat. The tree must have been hundreds of pounds and it was easily five times his size, but Finnian wasn't even sweating. We watched as he replanted the tree in a previously dug hole, and then he ran back over to us.

"Pretty strong, right?" he said between breaths.

"Yeah, I'll say!"

"Mey-Rin," Finnian said, "Show her how well you can shoot."

"Oh, alright. Let me get the gun." She riffled through the crisp cabinets in the adjoining kitchen and came back with a sniper riffle. She set her thick, circular spectacles on the table and rubbed her eyes for a moment. I was surprised to see such large, pretty brown eyes. Then, she set the gun on the windowsill and said, "I'll shoot four apples, one for each of us."

_Bang. Bang. Bang. _There was a little hesitation and then. _Bang. _

"The last one was squirming in the wind," she laughed, and then put her glasses back on.

We all went outside, and headed for the tree that Finny had just moved. Mey-Rin pointed out into the orchard. "No, this way."

She wove us through the orchard until we got towards the back fence, which was slightly inclined on a hill. When we reached that final tree, sitting in the shade were four apples, neatly lined up on the ground. Each had a bullet hole straight through the middle.

"That's impressive," I said. Her eyesight must have been truly extraordinary to be able to hit four specific apples from the same tree, at hundreds of yards.

"Thanks. But nobody fights as well as you," she replied and handed out the apples. Finnian devoured his right away, and Mey-Rin handed him hers.

"I doubt anyone shoots as well as you."

Mey-Rin shrugged at the compliment and Finny glanced at his pocket watch. "Time to go back to work! I guess we'll have to see Bard's strategy later!"

Bard huffed and Mey-Rin and Finny went their separate ways. I walked with Bard back to the kitchen. We didn't talk until we were practically at the house.

"Look, I'm sorry that you're mad at me," I said.

Bard finished his apple, sighed and pulled out a cigarette. "No, I'm just in a sour mood. You're great." He winked at me as we walked back into the house. "But I expect a rematch on that fight. No blindfold, and I won't go easy on you next time."

"Sure, Bard," I laughed. "I'll try not to be too rough on you next time either."

I was inches away from finishing polishing the table, it was very large and in desperate need of polishing, when I was interrupted again.

"Charlotte!" Finnian exclaimed breathlessly at the dinning room entrance. "Pluto needs your help!"

"Who's Pluto?" I asked. I hadn't heard of another servant here, especially one with a name like that.

"He's our dog, he's got something stuck in his teeth. He's in a lot of pain."

The dinning room was towards the center of the Phantomhive manor, so it was relatively soundproof from outside noise. But once we started moving towards the outside, I could hear an incredibly loud howling of a dog in extreme discomfort.

I expected to see a large dog because of the sheer volume of his crying. But I didn't expect to see a dog the size of a house.

"What kind of dog is this?" I yelled over the dog's wailing.

"It's a Hell Hound!" Finnian replied, equally as loud.

Pluto was lying across the backyard, scratching at his teeth and snout with paws the size of chairs. His teeth were easily the size of butcher knives. And there was blood.

"I don't know if I'm the right person for this!" I yelled back. "Maybe we should wait for Sebastian!" I figured a Hell Hound had to belong to the demon.

"Sebastian doesn't like Pluto! Please, Charlotte! He's in a lot of pain!"

The dog instantly sat up, tilted his head back, and let out the most pitiful and agonizing howl I had ever heard. It was also probably one of the loudest, and Finny and I had to cover our ears to keep from bursting an eardrum.

"Charlotte!" Finny cried, tears welling in his big child-like eyes. I sighed, obviously this enormous mutt was important to Finny, and I didn't want to let him down.

"Ok!" I moved closer to the dog, who was scratching at his mouth again. "Pluto," I called out, soothingly, as I approached. I didn't want the beast to snap at me, because I didn't much care to lose an arm today.

The dog wasn't shy, and let me get close enough to rub my hand on his giant white ear. From as close as I was, I could see that the blood wasn't all Pluto's, although his gums were bleeding. There was an enormous splinter of a bone poking out from between two of the dog's molars.

"What did he eat?" I asked Finny. "An elephant?"

"I think he ate one of the neighbors cows," Finny responded. "I thought I heard mooing earlier…"

I reached out to grab the splinter of the cow's femur, and started to pull, but the pain must have overwhelmed Pluto, because he growled at me and stood up, taking me with him. The dog shook his head, and I flew back to the ground.

"You okay, Charlotte?" Finny asked. I rolled back onto my feet.

"Been better. Do you think you can hold him down without hurting him?" I asked. If anyone was strong enough to keep a Hell Hound down, it was Finnian. He nodded, and grabbed the dog by the collar with one hand and the ear with another. Pluto snarled, and that gave me enough of a visual to see the splinter again. "One, Two, Three!"

And I wrenched the bone out of the dog's teeth with all my strength.

"Yay!" Finny shouted, and Pluto barked excitedly. Finnian grabbed me in a firm hug and the giant mongrel licked me with a tongue the size of a couch. Then he turned into a man. _A naked man. _

And we all hugged. Finnian. Me. The naked Hell Hound man.

_And this is just day one of working here, _I realized.


End file.
